The Trial of Mohammad Mossadegh

The political climate leading up to the trial was one of intense turmoil. Mossadegh had risen to power on a wave of popular support fueled by his unwavering commitment to nationalizing the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), a British corporation that held a near-monopoly on Iran's vast oil reserves. His government's move to seize control of the nation's most valuable resource was seen as a heroic act of defiance against foreign exploitation. This policy, however, brought Iran into a direct and punishing conflict with Great Britain, which responded with a devastating economic blockade and a campaign of political destabilization.